Post doc

[vanillafluffy]

I have two kinds of antibiotics and some very welcome hydrocodone. They did a culture for MRSA and I get to go back for a follow-up on Friday, ka-ching.

The doc shook his head, said it was "Pretty bad", but that I'd done the right thing by not disturbing the site. He cleaned it lightly with hydrogen peroxide and dressed it again---his version did not involve duct tape.

(ETA, the iPhone came in very handy. Because the whatever it was was in a very inconvenient place to inspect---my days of being THAT double-jointed are over---I got in the habit of taking arms-length pix with the iPhone, and thus was able to show Dr. K. a time-lapse chronicle of it from Thursday til the present.)

He's concerned about a few things, like my blood pressure, which was a staggering 150/100---on the other hand, I've been in constant pain for most of the last week, so that may be circumstantial.

Right now, I'm just going to take my meds and spend the next few days taking an Egyptian vacation,, cruising down de Nile. And then we'll see....

The very nice news, though, is that since my last visit there in June of 2009, I'm down 40 pounds!!! I was expecting to hear maybe 20-25, but 40?! GO, ME!!!

Mb and I popped into Publix so I could get my meds. Getting out of Mb's car, I had a slipper malfunction. These are ratty old plush mules---leopard print---and they were litterally the only footwear I could get my bandaged foot into. Well, the sole separated from the upper and the foam sandwiched in the middle came out. I grumbled, pulled the duct tape out of my bag, and made a crude repair---but I'm going to need some new slippers. *le sigh*

I got a few foodstuffs, hoping that my appetite will come back---seriously, I think I've had maybe four meals in the last five days, and small ones at that---and some real gauze for dressings. I also found a 25' extension cord to replace the purloined one. Oh joy, maybe now I can do some frackin laundry! Which would be a Good Thing, otherwise I'm gonna have to go commando to Friday's appointment.

Season finale of Justified tonight...I'm half looking forward to it, because there are so many wheels-within-wheels spinning---on the other hand, no more til NEXT SPRING, wah!

Okay, I'm gonna go prop my foot up, wait for the pills to kick in and watch today's Adam-12. Which reminds me, thanks, karaokegal, for the pimpage.

And thanks, dine---I found your CD and the dragon card in my mailbox today, which is the first time I've checked it since last Thursday. I'll give it a listen soon and let you know what I think. It certainly sounds intriguing.

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Comments

[dine.livejournal.com]

I sure hope you enjoy it!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I think so. I have fairly broad tastes in music; everything from opera to medieval to metal.

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[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Don't mess around with the blood pressure~ I had the same thing happen around 2009~ had to go on BP meds, one of which is just a water pill and the other is a beta blocker. Probably saved my life.
The Rx's are cheap and oh, so worth it. I was getting them for $4 each at Wal-Mart when I had no insurance. You can end up having a stroke from high BP. Not trying to scare you but it's another one of those middle age things. My family doc is very slim and trim but said he had been on them for years. I thought the high BP was because of my weight but he said a lot of it is hereditary.
Sooooo....listen to me! ha ha
Glad the toe is better, too.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

If it's necessary, I'll keep WalMart in mind. $4 a month is little enough. What concerns me is the cost of all these damn follow-up visits. $70 a pop adds up really fast!

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[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Beats the alternative.

[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

FYI- Typically, they don't charge for a follow-up visit after something like that. When I went to the walk-in after my foot got run over, they asked me to come back a few days later but the first payment was all inclusive for the follow-up.

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I hope you're right and my doc isn't the exception!

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[thru-the-blinds.livejournal.com]

That's fantastic about the weight loss, and I'm so glad the toe is on the mend. Also, that you're getting mail in the mailbox YOU erected!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Ironically, I am feeling so much better that I polished off a whole bag of Goldfish crackers during Justified (which was totally excellent, btw).

[adventurat.livejournal.com]

So glad your doc gave you abx and wow, hydrocodone! You could sell that pill by pill on the street if you need cash. But don't, 'cos that's illegal. And dangerous.

It cracks me up to hear people pronounce MRSA as "mersa"; the media is really bad for it. I guess four syllables is too many.

And HELLO, forty pounds down! Yay for you!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Nope, whenever I'm fortunate enough to get the good stuff, I'm pretty miserly about it. Comes in handy for dental emergencies and the like.

It's an improvement over "flesh-eating bacteria".

Yes, it's a nice round number...only NOT so round, y'know?

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[adventurat.livejournal.com]

Flesh-eating disease is necrotizing fasciitis. MRSA is an antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Neither one is great to have, but MRSA doesn't kill you. That I know of.

A nice "not so round" number, indeed! LOL!

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

MRSA does kill: http://www.marynmckenna.com/SUPERBUG.html

I read Mary McKenna's book about it after my son got community-acquired MRSA, and it scared the bejesus out of me. Thus I got very worried about Fluffy having gotten something similar.

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

I am SO glad to hear all this, except maybe the slipper blowout. (((HUGS)) You had me worried, sweetie.

YAY! for the extra weight loss. GO FLUFFY! And blood pressure meds are usually very inexpensive. I know you're watching every dollar like a border collie watches sheep, but this is a worthwhile investment in you.

*more hugs/happy dances*

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

The doc was concerned about the toe, which was/is discolored. Hence the cultures. But since there isn't anything I can do about anything except take my meds and think good thoughts, that's what I'm going to do for the next 50 hours.

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[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, you had not mentioned discolored. I mean, I assumed it was red, but yow, sweetie! After the culture comes back, the doc might add another antibiotic, but that should do the trick.

Will be thinking the good thoughts right along with you. *hugs*

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

All good mojo gratefully appreciated! I feel so much better already that it's amazing. I have my phone set up with reminders so I'll take everything right on schedule, and right now, I'm just enjoying the new-found sense of well-being.

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[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

EEP! I hadn't realized it was MRSA. Really glad you were able to get the anti-biotics and painkillers necessary. I once had both my big toes get all swollen, nasty infected after a running incident with some bad shoes. That was the day I brilliantly decided to take the anti-biotics WITHOUT ENOUGH FOOD IN MY STOMACH! Oh yeah. That ended well. NOT!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

It's not confirmed yet; there's also the possibility that it's a brown recluse bite. They're endemic around here, and I've wandered around out in the garage barefoot. Hopefully, they'll have the results on the culture back when I go in tomorrow.

Edited because I can't believe I did that.)

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